


Folklore of Faeries

by pajamabees



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Germerica - Freeform, M/M, NSFW themes, character death implied but did it really happen? up to you lol, death mentioned, gerame - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2019-06-27 14:24:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15687198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pajamabees/pseuds/pajamabees
Summary: Alfred made the mistake of striking a deal with a Fairy Prince, selling his soul for wealth. However, as his deal comes to a close, the Fairy Prince is impressed by the pure heart of Alfred. But a deal's a deal....





	Folklore of Faeries

The weeping disturbed the forest’s precious habitats, ruffled the leaves on the ground and rippled the water of the lake the poor human cried beside. The Fairy Prince was deeply annoyed, and he hoped the human would stop that insufferable noise soon. But alas, it continued, and it was truly a horrible sound indeed. The other fairies groaned and moaned, some covering their ears, others finding shelter in a tree, hoping it would be soundproof enough to block the horrid noise. No one even made a move to quell the sobbing human, and the Prince sighed.

After that awful incident a few months ago, all fairies dwelling in the forest a little ways beyond the kingdom’s poorest village were in hiding. There have been a few times that a fairy will mess with a passing human out of revenge, but other than that, most have backed off, for fear that they will fall into the hands of another man looking to kidnap supernatural beings.

It’s been a while since a weeping mundane traveled into this forest, let alone one who was very young. Those were always the easiest to trick, yet no fairy around seemed to be interested. The Prince shrugged. He’ll shut the human up.

The tribe of fairies watched him with silent eyes as he followed the wretched sobs, already prepared to take form into a lake spirit. He almost smiled at the image of the human recoiling in horror at the sight of a spirit emerging from the water. Almost.

“It could be a trap!” a fairy whispered after him, but the Prince ignored the warning. Yes, it could be a trap, but he was a prince. He held pretty significant powers, and if the traveler did anything, he’d kill him. Simple as that.

Once he was close enough to the human, his shape began to shimmer, and he disappeared, reappearing in the lake as he transformed. As much as he wanted to scare the man, he figured a soul was what he deserved after putting up with this human’s wailing presence. So, he opted to a more beautiful form.

And it worked.

He emerged slowly, water rippling past the abs he gave himself, unimpressed at how the human lifted his cradled head and immediately ogled at the materialistic body before him. Although the Prince couldn’t blame him–the human was absolutely dirty, and this was probably the cleanest body he’s seen in his entire life. The Fairy Prince almost scowled at how grimy the young man was. He could clearly see his tear streaks, the clean stripes contrasting horribly against the dirt covering his face. His clothes hung on his emaciated body like rags, and his hair was matted down with grease and more dirt. The Prince had seen worse, but he’d definitely seen better, too.

“Wha-” the human coughed, his voice hoarse and raw from crying so much, “What are you…?”

The Prince inwardly rolled his eyes at the overused question, but he kept his ethereal composure. “I am a water spirit,” he lied, “This lake is where I reside.”

“Oh,” the human gasped, scrambling to his feet in a hurry, “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you. I’ll be going….”

The water spirit chuckled–the Prince had to give himself credit for how  _nice_  it sounded. “It is quite alright. May I have your name?”

The man seemed to have calmed down at the sweet voice, and he looked up at the spirit with big, curious, and  _naive_  eyes. “Uh…Alfred. My name is Alfred. What’s yours?”

The Prince smiled. What a fool.

“Alfred,” the spirit repeated, the name tickling his tongue, “What an interesting name. I am Ludwig, the protector of this lake and any creature that stumbles upon it.” It was too easy. Alfred believed the lie that slipped from his lips, completely entranced. The foolish human couldn’t even keep eye contact–his gaze constantly slipped lower. Ludwig fed off of his desires, and he stepped forward until the lake’s water lapped at his knees, showcasing the body he worked very hard to perfect.

“Oh,” Alfred squeaked, and the Prince felt immense joy at the blush dusting the human’s muddy face.  _Too easy_.

“What is your wish, Alfred?” Ludwig asked, keeping his voice smooth and quiet.

“My wish….” The human whispered, still staring below the spirit’s waist until finally he realized what Ludwig said. “Wait. My wish? What wish?”

The spirit gave him a soft smile, and opened his arms in a warm gesture towards the lake. “You have awakened me. Only creatures with pure hearts can do so. In return, they are granted one wish.”

The human’s eyes grew wide. “Really?”

The Prince almost laughed at how gullible this one was. “Yes. Now, dear Alfred, what is your wish?”

Alfred only stared up at him, and for a second the Prince thought this was another human looking to get laid. It definitely was not his favorite ‘wish’ to grant, but it was one of the quickest ways to a soul. And he had to admit that the look on their post-orgasmic face once they realized they were about to get eaten was to die for. It was the best revenge, especially after horrible sex. The way humans mated was just…wrong. And disgusting.

“Okay,” the human interrupted Ludwig’s thoughts, and the Prince leaned forward in anticipation. “I have my wish.”

“What will it be?” the spirit asked, and on the inside, the Prince was nearly salivating. He could already taste it–this human’s soul. It had been so long since he’s had a bite.

“I wish….for unlimited wealth.”

The Prince deflated. Of course. It was always either sex or wealth. He sighed.

“Are you sure this is what you want?”

Alfred balled his fist in determination. “Yes.”

“Very well.”

With that, the spirit walked forward, until the human took a step back and looked up at him with sudden fear his eyes. But Ludwig only raised a glowing hand and softly placed it on Alfred’s cheek. It radiated warmth for a few seconds, and then it was gone, the sudden coldness causing Alfred to break out in goosebumps.

“It is done,” Ludwig said as he pulled back and stared down at the dumbfounded human, “Your wallet will never be empty. However,” he smirked, and he could smell the sudden fear that turned Alfred’s face pale, “In a year’s time, you must return to me.”

Alfred gulped. “And if I don’t?”

The spirit chuckled, except this time the Prince couldn’t hide the sinister tone behind it. “ _Then I will return to you_.”

With that, his form disappeared in a shatter of sparkles that colored the air in pinks and blues, but left behind a menacing atmosphere that made Alfred’s knees quake, and he quickly distanced himself from the lake. He couldn’t shake the feeling that a pair of eyes was following him, even as he broke from the forest and followed the path to his poor, worn down village.

——————————————–

Months flew by, and the Prince waited for his dear Alfred to return. He never forgot him, for he never forgets any of his clients. And he knows they never forget him.

In his long wait for a delicious soul, he was able to feed off of two other humans who crossed his path. Both wanted sex the moment they lied eyes on ‘Ludwig’, and who was he to deny their wishes? All the souls he feasted on tasted divine, but he had to admit that the wait made his meals that much more delicious. Thus, Alfred became a priority.

However, it seemed the Fairy Prince didn’t have to wait a whole year to see Alfred again. The human came to the same lake once a month with a gift. It was always a flower, or a small bag of food for the fishes that lived in the waters. Alfred never said anything; he just left his gift and ran. And what was even more strange: the human never wore the fancy garbs of someone who had unlimited money. Grant it, his clothes weren’t hanging off his thin frame anymore, and Ludwig could even see the true color of his skin–dark brown with even darker freckles–because of the human’s newfound cleanliness. But he still dressed like a peasant, and if Ludwig had to be honest, it intrigued him. Not to mention that none of his clients ever thanked him with gifts. The Prince wasn’t necessarily flattered; he was still going to eat the young man, and enjoy it immensely. But it was something new, and he was even more excited for the year to be over.

And when the year finally did end, the Fairy Prince stayed near the lake all day, excitement and anticipation running through his entire ethereal being. That excitement slowly began to fade though as he waited and waited, until the moon reflected off the calm waters of the lake. He grew angry then. Traveling outside the forest to find a client was a hassle, and although he always found them because he had possession of their names, it was still incredibly annoying. And one could say he was extremely irritated that Alfred had not come to him.

He had finally had enough of waiting, and he was about to go find Alfred himself until suddenly he heard staggering footsteps. In the distance, a human form struggled and limped between trees and over roots towards the lake. The Prince thought it was another lost human, but as they faltered closer to the lake where the trees cleared, the moonlight shined on none other than dear Alfred.

Once he neared the bed of the lake, he collapsed onto his knees with his head hung. He didn’t even look up when Ludwig’s body emerged from the water. He just stayed kneeling, hunched over like a charred and blackened tree. Ludwig didn’t blink an eye at the odd behavior. It was nothing knew. When it finally dawned on humans that their lives were over, they quivered, begged, cried, and were sometimes mute and depressed. However, as Ludwig neared the quiet human, his eyes widened.

The young man was hurt. He was covered in blood and open wounds, and patches of his hair were missing, as if someone had ripped them out. His face was just as grimy as when the first time the Prince met him, except not of dirt; this time of blood.

“Well?” the human croaked, still looking down at the ground, “are you going to kill me?”

Ludwig stared down at the ragged man. “Yes.” Alfred flinched. “But first-” He knelt down in front of the slumped human, and gently lifted his bruised chin so he could look into his sad and defeated eyes. “Tell me about your ventures.”

Those same eyes quivered underneath his stare, and Alfred was quiet for a very long time. Until finally he caved, and tears spilled from his already bloodshot eyes.

“I just wanted to help my village,” he cried, scrunching his eyes shut, “I wanted to help everyone, but my family–they…they-” he coughed up blood suddenly, and Ludwig realized for the first time that there was a dangerous wound to the man’s stomach. He watched as Alfred lurched forward in pain, the sobs emitting from his sore throat tugging at something inside the Prince. And it wasn’t annoyance.

“How could they be so selfish!” Alfred wheezed, and he tore his eyes open to look up at the ethereal being listening to every word that sputtered from his bloody lips. “I gave them everything! I gave my soul so they could finally live comfortably! But they just wanted more!” His eyes sizzled with hot anger as he continued, his face turning awfully pale from the exertion his crying put his fragile body through. “When they found out I was giving m-money to everyone, they went berserk! They wanted it all to themselves, and when I said no, they tried to–they tried to kill me!”

His voice cracked at the end, and he finally broke down into uncontrollable sobs. The forest was deathly quiet, absorbing all the grief, anger, and sadness radiating off the poor human. The prince could feel multiple sets of eyes on them, waiting, watching, wandering what his next move was. He could feel how the human’s selfless intentions touched the heart of the forest, how his wails caused the animals to weep along with him.

What happened to him was unfortunate. He sacrificed his soul to help his family and village, knowing that his government would never help them. It was a sad world to live in, where the rich stole 10 times more than they needed, and left only crumbs for peasants who never even had a chance. This little human tried to change that, only to be abandoned and nearly killed by the very family he gave his soul up for. Ludwig would never understand how small golden coins could corrupt someone so quickly. He admired Alfred for resisting its power.

But a deal was a deal.

Ludwig held out his hand, and Alfred looked at it with confusion. “It is time you pay your end of the deal,” the Prince said. Alfred continued to stare at the glowing hand, then he moved his gaze to connect with Ludwig’s.

“Will it hurt?” he asked.

“Yes.”

The human nodded, his shoulders deflating in defeat. He was ready.

He grabbed Ludwig’s hand, and pushed himself up with a painful grunt until he was wobbling on shaky legs. The spirit slowly moved back into the water, pulling Alfred with him. The salty water stung his wounds, and he hissed as he descended deeper into the lake. Ludwig never let go of his hand, and he never broke eye contact either, and when their heads were just above the surface, Alfred stopped. He looked up at the night sky, admiring the moon for the first time in a while. He realized in that moment how quiet the forest was, and suddenly he wasn’t paying attention to his wounds.

And then a hand tugged on his, and he glanced at Ludwig one last time before he asked, “Did you get my gifts?”

The spirit smiled, and then suddenly they were submerged under water.


End file.
